Veteran sports writer Jim Utter covers NASCAR for The Charlotte Observer and its racing site, ThatsRacin.com. In this space, Jim writes about all things NASCAR and other forms of racing which may also be relevant ... or not.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Brad Keselowski took the Sprint Cup Series points lead and is in prime position to win his first series championship. But he was no fan of how the final laps unfolded at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday. Asked about what bothered him most, Keselowski offered this up: "Well, it's the double‑standard that I
spent a whole week being bashed by a half a dozen drivers about racing hard at
Texas and how I'm out of control and have a death wish, and then I see ... that.That's (expletive).That's all you can call that," Keselowski said. "These guys just tried to kill each
other.You race hard and I get called (expletive) for racing hard and called with a death wish, and I see ... that (expletive). It's ... ridiculous, and they should be ashamed.It's embarrassing."

The 17-year-old Las
Vegas driver captured the 2012 championship in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series
West with a second-place finish in the Casino Arizona 50 at Phoenix
International Raceway on Saturday.

A year after becoming
the youngest race winner and youngest rookie of the year in series history, he
became the youngest series champion.

Kwasniewski entered the
event with a two-point lead over teammate and defending series champion Greg
Pursley in one of the closest championship battles in the history of the
series.

“All we had to do was
finish in front of Greg and that’s what we did,” Kwasniewski said. “I couldn’t
be more proud of my team and my mom. My dad started all this for me and this
race was for him and this championship is for him,” Kwasniewski said of his late
father. “To be out here in Phoenix and to get the championship, there’s no
better feeling.”

Michael Self, who
started the race on the outside of the front row, shot into the lead at the drop
of the green flag and paced the entire 50 laps to score his third career win –
all this season.

At 17 years 5 months 10
days, Kwasniewski eclipsed the previous record set by Chuck Bown in 1976 at 22
years, 7 months, 11 days.